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Secondary education

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Original poster

My ds- the Private Walker de nos jours......

25 replies

Martorana · 09/05/2014 10:27

I discovered this morning that ds (year 8) has been buying multi packs of 4 Wispa bars for a pound and selling them at break for 50p each.

I feel I should stop him, but I don't quite know why. Would you?

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TheOriginalSteamingNit · 09/05/2014 10:30

Is he Gonch from Grange Hill? Grin

I don't know - it's the sort of thing school might not be keen on if they become aware, I guess.

meditrina · 09/05/2014 10:32

No - unless the school had a rule about not selling anything.

Or perhaps if the pack had a 'not to be sold separately'' written all over it.

A single wispa bar costs about 60p, so although he's making a profit he's not profiteering. That I would be cross about.

Everhopeful · 09/05/2014 10:34

I can't think of a reason to stop a budding entrepreneur! 50p is less than the other kids would pay in the shop over the road anyway, so why would the school object, unless he really is bringing in tons of them (in which case he isn't helping them be a Healthy School. On the other hand, my DD's school is ostensibly healthy, but they seem to sell these things...). Up to a fiver's worth and I wouldn't worry: much more, and he isn't really having a break, is he? TBH, I'm tempted to suggest it to DD!

TheOriginalSteamingNit · 09/05/2014 10:36

Yeah, if they're a Healthy School they might have something to say...

But the point about not profiteering is solid - and I think this happens a lot when year 11 can go off-site at lunch time in a lot of places anyway. Your DS just thought of it sooner!

ttlshiwwya · 09/05/2014 10:42

No - it happens all the time at my DCs school.

My DS2 (also Y8) has been taking extra bottles of water which I've bought in a multi-pack and sells them after PE for 50p each undercutting the school. He pockets the money.

At least your son is buying the Wispas. DS2 tells me of kids stealing from the local supermarket and selling on at lunch/break for reduced prices!

TitusFlavius · 09/05/2014 11:03

A friend's little brother was disciplined (years ago) for buying condoms and selling them to his classmates on school premises. I think he should've got a medal for promoting safe sex.

stonecircle · 09/05/2014 11:08

Depends on the school I guess. At ours it's very much frowned on and would result in detention/internal exclusion.

meditrina · 09/05/2014 11:23

If the school has a deal with a company which provides a snack counter (especially if school funds are benefitting from a slice of the profits) or a pupil run tuck shop or similar, then it is far more likely they'll take a dim view of other selling. But in such cases, I'd expect there to be a rule about it.

Original poster
Martorana · 09/05/2014 11:42

It's funny really, I am simultaneously weeping over dd's last school report talking about what a fine upstanding citizen she is, and what a pleasure to teach and what a role model for younger pupils- and being half amused and half horrified at ds's black market activities.!

The first thing I checked was the racketeering thing- I would have stomped on that instantly. I wonder what grounds the school would discipline him under. I think I'll leave it and see if I find out.............

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Bagpussss · 09/05/2014 12:14

Quite a few YR 8's do it, my own daughter sometimes buy sainsbos big cookies for £1 a bag and sells them as she knows kids will pay 50p each for them. Good business sense Grin

stonecircle · 09/05/2014 12:51

I think at our school they stamp on it because:

  • It's undercutting the catering company they have a contract with
  • It goes against their healthy eating policy
  • H&S reasons - a wrapped wispa with a long shelf life is one thing but a loose cookie or doughnut could be long past it's use by date or not stored hygienically (or contaminated by grubby hands!)
  • parents like me prefer to think their children are spending their lunch money on something vaguely healthy/sustaining rather than succumbing to the lure of black market crap!

Why don't you ask the school if they mind? If they don't - great. If they do - then you shouldn't be turning a blind eye.

Takver · 09/05/2014 13:47

This doesn't help, but I remember as a teen my mum being secretly rather tickled by a student at the agricultural college where she worked growing a good line in dope plants and selling the results to his fellow students. As she said, the students received endless lectures about diversification, looking for novel crops, the importance of innovation and business sense to a farmer . . .

Original poster
Martorana · 09/05/2014 13:50

I can see that's what I ought to do, stonecircle- but I think I'll continue the blind eye. He will get caught soon enough, then we'll find out what the school thinks.

Next question- do I reduce his pocket money? I don't for money legitimately earned- he dog sits and washes cars- but should I for this?

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Original poster
Martorana · 09/05/2014 13:51

[grin]@takver..........

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noseymcposey · 09/05/2014 14:02

Martorana - Depends on your politics really... ;) Seems a bit disincentivising of entrepreneurship to reduce his 'benefits' in response to DS using his initiative to supplement his income.

Good for him, and I would probably leave it to :)

Stripytop · 09/05/2014 14:02

The school will definitely mind, and he probably knows this. Let him keep the money, but ensure he knows the potential consequences so you don't feel guilty when he gets that detention. He's old enough to weigh up the risk himself.

Fullpleatherjacket · 09/05/2014 14:24

I had one with an entrepreneurial streak and I didn't stop him.

I was quite impressed when he flogged the pizza he'd made in cookery to his mates at 50p a slice especially as it meant I didn't have to pretend to eat it myself Grin

AllMimsyWereTheBorogroves · 09/05/2014 14:28

An ex-colleague of mine had a son who ran a lucrative business selling places in the school dinner queue when he was about that age. The lazy or busy or just plain affluent pupils paid him to reserve them a place near the front and he employed other pupils to stand in the queue. When the l or b or jpa pupils turned up the placeholders stepped out of the queue. How he persuaded the placeholders to do it I don't know as it was clear that K was the one making most of the money.

AElfgifu · 09/05/2014 18:04

He could get excluded for this, so I would discourage, you wouldn't want an exclusion on his record. I wouldn't say it was morally wrong, personally, but if if is against school policy then there might be serious consequences. I had this exact conversation with my son when a friend of his was recently excluded for something similar. I'm not entirely clear in my own mind about why it was taken so seriously. Maybe it ended up with disputes about money, maybe there was a healthy school policy which banned sweets, don't really know. One of those acts which is ethically wrong although not really morally wrong, I think.

KleineDracheKokosnuss · 09/05/2014 18:07

I wouldn't stop him. If he gets caught, he gets caught. I'd warn him that the school may not be too happy about it, but then leave him to make his own decision whether to stop or not.

Bonsoir · 09/05/2014 18:09

I remember a child being expelled from my school for that kind of thing (on a slightly bigger scale).

threepiecesuite · 09/05/2014 18:14

Wispas now is it. The currency of the school where I work seems to be largely Lucozades, Discos and Chewits. We are an enterprise college, and, well, it is enterprising...but we have to stop it and confiscate if seen.

Original poster
Martorana · 09/05/2014 18:21

Those whose schools would exclude- why? I could understand if it was profiteering, but selling for a profit but below the RRP?

I still can't decide whether I think it's wrong or not- either ethically or morally. Maybe I am just a moral vacuum.

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TheWordFactory · 09/05/2014 18:37

My friend's DS was doing this and got a serious bollocking (suspension), which I thouhgt was way over the top!!!

Just be careful, school don't really over react.

Original poster
Martorana · 09/05/2014 18:45

Oh well he has a ludicrously unblemished record so far and teachers seem to think the sun shines out of his arse so it'll be good for all concerned if he's taken down a peg or two! I'll update as and when.

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